Jif Cashew Butter, reviewed

Peanut butter is the go-to nut butter for most people, but any kind of nut can be turned into a creamy nut butter beacause nuts are so high in fat. About 10 years ago, it would be uncommon to see nut butters that were made with almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds anywhere but health food stores, but these days they are so mainstream that even more brands are getting into the alternative nut butter business – and that means a bigger selection to choose from at the grocery store.

Jif Cashew Butter is one of the latest nut butter products to be released by this popular peanut butter brand (and one of my favorites to bake with), along with Almond Butter. Cashew butter is a little more unusual than almond butter, and I don’t see it too often so I wanted to give it a try. Cashews are a very mild nut that don’t have a strong flavor on their own, as peanuts do, so cashew butters are often helped more than other nut butters by the addition of a little sugar and salt to bring out the sweetness of the nut. This butter is made with roasted cashews, sunflower oil, sugar and a blend of other vegetable oils, as well as a little bit of salt. It is very smooth, with a distinct cashew flavor, and just a hint of sweetness to it. It is still a relatively mild nut butter, but the cashew flavor carried through into everything that I added it to, from baked goods to sandwiches.